The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-09-10


tables, fresh and fair, that felt I could
put up with everything, and soon made
myself at home with the hostess, one of
those quiet housekeepers, whose face
never knew frown and whose voice was
never fretful, but who impressed you at
once with a feeling that here was a wo.
man who ruled her household with re-
sistless love. After while though, be-
gan to survey the place and it's appoint
ments, with what trust was pardonable
curiosity. The long low building con-
sisted of five apartments. Mine was at
one end and will wait awhile ere de-
scribe that. The door of it opened into
the kitchen,-a genuine Irish Kitchen
open to the rafters, which were black with
the smoke of three-quarters of a century
of peat fires. The floor is mud, beaten
down by the feet of three generations of
families and their guests into hardness
that is almost like marble. It is not
smooth, nor even, inclin1ng to the back
door, for convenience of sweeping out the
wet. It is full of little hollows, which
make very nice little troughs into which
to pour sweet or sour milk for the favorite
dog or cat. On the side next my room is
the chimney, with powerful draft, but
there is nothing resembling our idea of a
| fire place, the fire being built right on
the floor, against the chimney back. The
fuel is peat, or peats, or turf, all three
meaning the one thing. And this peat
fire is, as the natives quantity say, the
bonniest flame in the country. Adoring,
that is a strong word, but let it stand
adoring as 1 do an open fire, have en-
joyed this fire of peats as have not enjoy
ed anything since I was child and Ioung-
ed at eventide before the immense wood
fires my father used to keep on the hearth
stone OF an old fashioned hall. And there
is no stint of peats here, the master and
mistress piling them on with affluent hand.
That fire, it glorifed that cabin and re-
conciled me to the mud floor and the black
rafters and all else that offend ones fas-
tidious civilized senses. The doors are
opposite each other and stand open the
livelong day. The one little window, the
easement deep recess, looks out at
the rear on the highest hill in Ireland, q
view that never wearies. The furniture
is scsDt and rude, settle which is let
down at night, and makes bed for the
boys, table, an open dresser, and few
chairs. I forgot the meal barrels in the
corner, one with oatmeal, one with Indian
and one with -four.
Opening from this is "the room," or as
the Scotch would say "the ben." This
is the parlor, sleeping room, butteIy, etc.
can end the sentence no other way. 1t
has fireplace, which is dark now but
bright all winter with the peats. There
are two bede, both peculiar to these old
countries, being sort of hole in the wall
only these are not battened in, but hung
with curtains. There is a table, a few
chairs, a sort OF wardrobe, which serves
as cupboard, and this is all. With peat
fire covering everything with crimson
/
picture; but without the fire, the mud
floor looks cold and the whole room
ehivery. A solid stone wall separates
the room, from what do you think?
Well, the byre, where the COWS are kept;
and another solid wall separates that
from the stable, where the ponies sleep!
And so we are all under one roof-the
American lady at one end, and the two
dear little ponies at the other But I
can say truly, "the beasts" never disturb
ed me, and SO very neat was this farmer
and his boys and his wife that [ never
once "felt" the smell of our four-footed
companions. The poultry had separate
house away off, and the pigs another;
while "the hidden" was off to one side,
out OF sight and out of smell. The back
yard had in it the beginning of the peat
stack, the building of which watched
afterward with great curiosity, for it is
really an artistic performance.
You will wonder how l was able to Sc
cure room to myself in this Irish cabin.
Well, it came about this way. There was,
at the one end small room which had
been always a sort of 'catchall," it's door
opening into the back yard. My old
Glasgow wife suggested that this be put in
order for the lady. So door was knock
ed through into the kitchen and the out
er door built up part way and changed
into window. There was one small win
dow to the front. New movable sashes
we're put in both, then the rough stone
walls were whitewashed. A ceiling of I'M
planed boards was put up to shut out
the black rafters; and as this room had
always had board floor, it was thus
quite comfortable. Two strips of cheap
carpeting were bought to lay in front of
the bedstead, which vas new one, an
iron one, with new beds. Wasn't I glad
had the first of that bed and beddingD
A table and few chairs, with diminu-
tive dressing glass, completed the furni-
ture.
Rough and simple enough it looked to
one fresh from city; and yet it was so
much better than expected, that / was
really charmed with the whole affair. And
here / ate and slept and wrote for over
a fortnight. L had light, L had air,
had food, had flowers. My real wants